Although many people don’t know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America everyone knows Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October. In my opinion breast cancer awareness gets attention all year, but specifically in October. And there’s nothing wrong with that. They’ve done a great job with public visibility. Many stores have several breast cancer awareness items and apparel available for purchase. The NFL recognizes it in October as well. With all the awareness it is important to mention that Black women have the highest death rate when it comes to breast cancer. Now let’s make sure we do our part in early detection.
I know a couple of survivors personally. And I see survivors via my Facebook friends. Their ages range between 30s and 70s. All females. Here’s one of our hometown survivors below.
Male Breast Cancer
However, breast cancer isn’t limited to just women, men can get it too. It is rare. Famous actor, Richard Roundtree from the movie, Shaft and tv show, Being Mary Jane had breast cancer. Now he’s a survivor. Beyonce’s dad Matthew Knowles shared in 2019 that he had it. Men need to awareness too. With that being said, I’ll be sharing key things to know for breast cancer awareness.
Family History
Breast cancer can be hereditary; therefore, it’s important to know your family history. Breast cancer can be detected early by completing self breast exams (SBE) monthly, clinical breast exam by a physician, and mammograms for women ages 40 and up.
Just last week former MTV host, Ananda Lewis told the public she has been fighting breast cancer for 2 years. She’s using alternative treatments instead of the medical treatment of chemo and radiation. In her mind she felt that her mom died from breast cancer after being exposed to radiation from years and years of mammograms. At that moment she refused mammograms which is a diagnostic test for early detection. Today she realizes that was a mistake. In fact, since Ananda’s mom had the disease, that was a huge risk factor in her chances of getting breast cancer as well.
Be Aware of These Breast Changes:
- Changes in breast shape
- Breast discoloration
- Drainage from nipples
- Inverted nipples
- Pain or discomfort
My Breast Cancer Scare
Although breast cancer doesn’t run in my immediate family, I had a scare. I remember when I was in my 20s, I began having pain my breast. Never experienced it before, so I scheduled an appointment with my PCP (primary care physician). She examined my breasts. While palpating she felt small lumps. It wasn’t very alarming for her, but she still wanted to rule out cancer by doing a mammogram. However, she knew my health insurance wouldn’t cover it due to my age. Instead my doctor ordered an ultrasound.
Awaiting the results was a long fearful week for me. I recall one instance some friends and I were hanging out at a girlfriends house, having a nice time, but inside I was hurting. I tried not to show it. But looking back at a few pics from that night, I could see pain and fear on my face. I was worried about having a cancer diagnosis. Well the results came back negative! Turns out the breast tissue was fiborous just as my doctor thought. I wrote another article on some important annual check-ups get here.
Lay Off the Caffeine
And you all, she told me something that I just couldn’t imagine. When all of this was happening, I was working night shifts on the floor (nursing unit). In order to stay up for those long 12 hour nights, I needed something extra to help me stay awake. I was drinking Mountain Dew and Starbucks Frappuccino. Maybe two per night. What do they have in common besides sugar? Caffeine! My doctor told me too much caffeine can cause changes in your breasts and lead to pain. I made up my mind that I’d no longer drink those beverages. And believe it or not I didn’t use any drinks to help me stay awake after learning that. I didn’t stay on night shift much longer either.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, there’s an important lesson. Be aware of the changes to your body and follow up with a healthcare provider. Early detection is key when it comes to breast cancer. It improves treatment outcomes. If you weren’t checking your breasts it’s not too early or too late start.
My hope is that you have learned something from this post. Let me know in the comments.
Throwback- Community Breast Cancer Walk
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I revamped an old post on sickle cell awareness by adding more content and photos. You can click on this link 🔜. Sickle cell awareness month is in September and affects many Black sisters and brothers although the disease does’t get much publicity at all.